BBVA demonstrates its ongoing commitment to diversity within the institution and the importance of widespread integration, specifically with LGTBIQ + diversity. Here, the bank's employees recount how they themselves have lived it and how their self-run Be Yourself program is cultivating a richer, more talented, and sustainable corporate culture.
For nearly three years, the Be Yourself project has brought the LGTBIQ + reality closer to the entire Group's employees, crossing borders and expanding its radius of action. What began as a declaration of good intentions has become an ambitious and active program that has led BBVA to become a business leader in Spain. In fact, this past February the bank acceded to the presidency of REDI, the most important corporate network for diversity in Spain.
In 2020, the bank launched an initiative to train and provide the bank´s employees with basic knowledge about LGTBIQ + diversity, especially executives and managers who participate in selection or decision-making processes regarding the staff´s career development. For this year's Pride celebrations, BBVA has presented a guide for raising awareness and providing guidelines to support trans employees in their transition. Some of the measures proposed in this manual include advice on how to treat a trans co-worker, instructions for managing people to speed up internal procedures for name changes, and specialized coaching to connect employees depending on where they are in their process.